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UNITED STATEIsj-PA'rENT OFFICE.-

WILLIAM s. REYBURN AND F.- J. MARTIN,- oF PHILADELPHIA, PA.

MACHINE FoRcovERlNc LIGHTNING-Roos WITH SHEET METAL...y

Speci-iieation forming part of Letters Patent o; 93,834, dated August17, 1869.

To all-whom tt'may concern: l

Be it known that we,`WILLIAM S. REYBURN vind F, J. MARTIN, of the cityand county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and Improved Machine for Covering Lightning-Rods with' Sheet Metal;1nd we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, 'making'a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l is a plan view. Figs. 2, 3,4, and

5 are transverse vertical sections in the lines a: au, y y, z z, and Irw, Fi g, 1, respectively; and Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the rod andsheathing when completely united.

This invention relates toa compound lightning-rod composed of an ironbody, to give support, and a copper sheathing, to furnish a goodconducting-surface; and it consists in the application of the dies'andother mechanism, hereinafter.described, to the purpose of combining thetwo parts of the rod, by successive steps, into a complete article ofmanufacture, as herein set forth.` 1 1 In the drawings are shown fourdies, a, b, c, and (l, placed in a row parallel to each other and atsuitable intervals transversely' of the ,wooden foundation Ag, to whichthey are all securely fastened. Each of these dies has a idiiferentshape, conformable to the several oiiices it discharges in themanufacture of the finished rod. f

The rod B that is to be covered. is in fourweb form, the webs projectingat right angles from a common center, as shown in Figs. 2, tc. This isfurnished in lengths of about ten feet each.

The sheathingl C' i's cut in strips of any convenient length, and ofproper width to cover -the rod.

The rst die, a., has a central o1'iiice, a, correspondent to the shapeof `the rod B.v It has also a seniicircular slot, WQ-outside of theoriiiccd, for the reception of the sheathing. The plate in which arc theorifice and slot` is placed across the smaller end of a tapering`channel, a'", curved in cross-section. t

The end of a section of rod is placed in the orifice e', and the end ofa section of sheathing is sufficiently bent to get it into the largerendof the channel 11, and is then pushed 'forwardL through 'the channeltill it enters the slota". The rod 'and sheathing are then advancedtogether toward the next die, b, which is distant some two inches fromthe first die.

The die b vhas one nearly circular funnel-shaped orifice, b,of somewhatless radius than the slot 0., which orifice b' merely serves to fold thesheathing a little more closely about the rod. The next die, c, has afunnel-'shaped circular aperture, c', still smaller than b.

The aperture c', like b', isnot closed at the top, and the two horns ofthe die, or the parts above the aperture, are'bent-the one forward, theother back. The function ofthe horns is to turn down the edges of thesheathing, so as to completely inclose the rod, and the bending of onehorn forward is to effect the turning down of one' edge'frst, so thatthe other edge may be turned down upon it.

The taper principle, which we make use of with great advantagethroughout the whole process, is specially applied to the horn c" by theaddition thereto of a subsidiary prong, d, which is fastened tothefrontside of c by a f screw, and has a groove, c4, across its sharp end andunder its tooth, which groove first receives theedge of the sheathingandbends it down suiiiciently to enable itV to 'pass under the horn c".The opposite horn, c5, is ,bent

backward in` order that it may not turn down the sheathing on its ownside until the other,

side is sufficiently depressed.

The rod and its covering issue from the die c completely connected; but.the sheathing is not sunk into the angles between the webs of I therod. To accomplish this object is the function ofthe tapering orifice din --the fourth and last die, d, which orifice vis'of a similar shape toa', only somewhatlarger. In order to accommodate this orifice to rods ofvarying sizes, We attach. to .the lfront side of the die a subsidiaryprong, d, similar to 0', which, in-

stead of being rigidly fas-tened, ispivoted to the die, and furnishedlwith a projecting stud, df", upon whicmhears a spring-plate, d4. The

spring causes thep'rong ,to force the sheathing into closecontact-witharod of any size; On emerging from* thedieyd :therod andsheathing are formed. in tbfaflinishedi article,asA shown in Fig. 6;

Machinery of vthe-:proper sort 'is here Vproeine die d, in culminationywith `the slib'- the purpose Aset forth.

4. The .combination of the dies a, b, c, andsidiary prong d :md thespring d, as and for d, arranged and operating as explained.

To theabove specification of our invention we have signed our hands this14th day of' May, 1869.

WILLIAM S. REYBURN. F. J. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

CEAS. A. PETTIT, SoLoN C. KEMON.

